West Central K'iche' Language - Dialects

Dialects

Kaufman (1970) divides the K'iche' complex into the following five dialects, with the representative municipalities given as well (quoted in Par Sapón 2000:17).

East
  • Joyabaj
  • Zacualpa
  • Cubulco
  • Rabinal
  • San Miguel Chicaj
West
  • Nahualá
  • Santa Clara La Laguna
  • Santa Lucía Utatlán
  • Aldea Argueta, Sololá
  • Cantel
  • Zunil
  • San José Chiquilajá, Quetzaltenango
  • Totonicapán
  • Momostenango
Central
  • Santa María Chiquimula
  • San Antonio Ilotenango
  • Santa Cruz del Quiché
  • Chichicastenango
North
  • Cunén
South
  • Samayac

The Nahualá dialect of K'iche' shows some differences from other K'iche' lects: Nahualá preserves an ancient Proto-Mayan distinction between five long vowels (aa, ee, ii, oo, uu) and five short vowels (a, e, i, o, u). It is for this conservative linguistic feature that Guatemalan and foreign linguists have actively sought to have the language called "K'ichee'," rather than K'iche' or Quiché.

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